Epidendrum constricolumna Hágsater, Chocce & E.Santiago 2009 GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae

TYPE Drawing by © Jimenez and The AMO Herbaria Website

Common Name The Constricted Column Epidendrum

Flower Size .8" [2 cm]

Found in northeastern Peru on the upper eastern slope of the Andes at elevations of 2000 to 3250 meters as a mini-miniature to small sized, cold growing, monopodial terrestrial with cane-like, laterally compressed, shortly branched above the middle stems carrying on the main stem not seen, on the branches 5 to 6, all along the branch, alternate, articulate, erect-spreading, ovate-lanceolate, acute, coriaceous, green, margin entire, purple leaves that blooms in the winter on a terminal, racemose, short, occuring only once, peduncle, short, terete, thin, rachis lax, simultaneously 3 flowered inflorescence with much shorter than the ovary, triangular-lanceolate, acute, aamplexicaul floral bracts and carrying respinate, ochre, tinged reddish flowers with the tepals translucent, the column reddish and the lip tinged reddish.

"Epidendrum constricolumna belongs to the GROUP Andean SUBGROUP Soratae which is characterized by the branching habit starting on a monopodial, primary stem, infundibuliform, rugose leaf-sheaths, lanceolate, aristate, acute leaves, racemose sub-capitate inflorescence on a short, thin peduncle, and the bicallose lip. The species is recognized by the plants with short branches, ovate-lanceolate leaves .28 to .4" [0.7 to 1 cm] long, a very short inflorescence, 3, translucent, ochre colored flowers tinged reddish, dorsal sepal reflexed, lateral sepals spreading, .32" [8 mm] long, orbicular lip and the column straight, apex somewhat upturned and ventrally abruptly constricted near the base. Epidendrum retrosepalum Hágsater, R.Fernández & E.Santiago is vegetatively similar, but the flowers are much smaller, the lateral sepals strongly reflexed .24 to .28" [6 to 7 mm] long, lip orbicular and the column arched at the basal half. Epidendrum soratae Rchb.f. has lanceolate leaves to 1.88" [4.7 cm] long, inflorescence with up to 13, greenish yellow flowers, partly spreading sepals .28" [7 mm] long, a reniform lip with the margin entire." Hagsater etal 2009

Synonyms

References W3 Tropicos, Kew Monocot list , IPNI ; *Icones Orchidacearum 12 Plate 1226 Hagsater, Chocce & Santiago 2009 drawing fide; Icones Orchidacearum 17(1) Plate 1730 Hagsater & Jimenez 2019 see recognintion section

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